THE PROHIBITION REVERSE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20581, 3 December 1928, Page 8

THE PROHIBITION REVERSE.

The official figures of the result of the, licensing poll last month . reveal forcibly the magnitude .of the reverse that was suffered by the prohibitionists. They show that the valid votes that were recorded were thus given: -

For National Continuance .. 374,502 For State Purchase ' and Control .. .. .. .... 64,276 For Prohibition . . 294,453 The majority against prohibition was, therefore, the unprecedehtly, large - one of 144,325. • 'Viewed by themselves these figures are'decidedly, impressive, but it is when they are compared with the corresponding figures at previous polls that the marked significance ■of them is most ( clearly seen. The vote in favour of. continuance - last month was 74,912 in excess of the vote three years ago, and the -vote in favour of State control. showed ah increase of 8239. More striking than this, however, is the fact that the sentiment in favour of the abolition of ’ the trade has actually declined. The vote for prohibition was 37,177 less than it was in 1925. In order that the meaning of this reduced vote may be fully appreciated, it ; has to be observed that the total number of valid votes recorded on this occasion was 57,154 more than Were reebrded three years ago. The prohibition vote has dropped from 47 per cent, of the total vote in 1925 to 40 per cent, of'the total vote in 1928. This year it wasonly 24,203 more than it was in 1919, although the total number of. votes registered .on this occasion was 289,469 more than it was then. Moreover, the vote in favour of State . control, comparatively . small though it is, increased during the nine years since 1919 to a greater extent than the vote for prohibition. It will require all the ingenuity of the prohibitionists to explain away the figures of the recent poll. To most people, it may be conjectured, they can be interpreted only in the sense that they express a set determination,on the part of the public against the introduction of any such expedient as prohibition. Another such poll, and the need for putting the country to the expense of the triennial poll on the licensing issue may be seriously questioned. ,

Information, was received by telephone at a late hour last night that the school at Herbert had been burnt to the ground. Apart from the fact that the. fire occurred about 11 p.m. no further particulars were available last night.

A collision between a motor car and a motor cycle, which fortunately was not attended by any serious results, took place on the North road, Green Island, on Sunday. Both the car and cycle were travelling in a northerly direction, and when the car turned off to the right the cycle, which was close behind, crashed into it. The rider of the motor cycle was pinned against the radiator, while the pillion rider was thrown clear. Each received a few abrasions and their clothes were damaged. A resident of Port Chalmers informs us that a number of local youths yesterday afternoon were rolling, stones down, the face of the quarry near Captain Scott’s monument. The lads were no doubt acting thoughtlessly, but the results might have been serious had anyone been passing along the road below.

Bankruptcies' in Auckland continue to reflect the improvement in the economic conditions (says our special correspondent). The cases in November totalled nine, compared with eight in October and 14 in September. " November is generally a very heavy month for us because the legal offices are anxious to clear up business before Christmas,” said the Official Assignee. " This November, however, we have handled less than half the usual number of cases. There is a great improvement in the position generally, A noticeable feature is the smaller number of bankrupt farmers. The returns for the year to date show an appreciable reduction.”

The City Fire Brigade turned out to a, malicious false alarm from Duckworth street, Anderson’s Bay, at 11.25 a.m. on Saturday. A further call was received at 11;17 yesterday morning to the corner of St. Andrew and King streets, and this also proved to be a false alarm, but it was justifiable, as some smoke had been observed issuing from an adjacent destructor. At 4,56 p.m. another justifiable false alarm was received from the Bell Tea Company’s premises in Carroll street. The next call was received at 9.30 p.m., when a chimney firt at 87 Cargill street claimed the attention of the brigade. Ten minutes later a malicious false alarm caused a machine to be despatched on a fruitless errand to the corner of Evan’s street and Comley bank, Opoho f

, A Press Association telegram from Auckland states that new settlers numbering 130 arrived from England' by the Rotorua yesterday. They included 32 boya and six girls -for Flock House,--and 23 domestic servants;. The remainder comprised immigrants who have come to the Dominion Jo join their families.

- • "V- ■■■" . The French- Consul for New Zealand . (M. Serre, of Auckland) recently forwarded ■to the Dunedin French Club;' a fine bronze medal offered by the-French Ministry of Foreign Affairs "for competition in French reading, recitation,. and conversation among the secondary school pupils of Otago and Southland.; The French Club, iu whose charge the competition ■was placed, decided to add a. book prize to. .the medal for the successful candidate, and also a book prize for the candidate who came second. . The competition was held on Saturday at the University, the judges being the following officials of the French Club:—rPrdfessor. Thompson, M. Saldaigne, 'Madame Saldaigne, and Madame -Bellugue; - Nine schools competed, each submitting two Otago Boys’ High School, Otago Girls’ High School, M'Glashan College, Columba College, St. Hilda’s, St, Dominic’s, St. John’s (Invercargill), Southland Girls* i High School (Invercargill), and .Waitaki Boys’ High School. The successful candidate was James M. Bertram (Waitaki), the second being W. N. Herrington (M'Glashan). Special mention must also be made Of Joau M'Avoy and, Marion Goycn (St. Hilda’s) and* Ida .. Dawson (Columba), and also of Nancy Dexter (St, ’ Dominic’s) for -excellent recitation. It is hoped to make this competition'an annual one; v • •'

The pages dealing with the ( Byrd Ant- . artic Expedition in'the illustrated section of the Otago Witness,‘to- be published tomorrow, are very interesting. They show the Polar ships lying at ttie'Dunedin" wharves and include photographs of the deck; unloading the aeroplanes, the place where the dogs will be carried, tractiors ■for use on the ice, the personalities of the expedition, the ships themselves,- and the commanders.;: The Forbury Park Trotting ' Club’s spring meeting provides .another pageipf local interest. :ahd‘“ The Rabbit Industry in Dunedin,” “Opening of the New-Rowling Green at Ross Home,” “ Whippet Racing - at Gore,” "Southland Motor Club’s 'Beach Races at Riverton,” "Rejuvenating the ba Takers at' Lake Te • Anau,” and' “After the Storm- at Pleasant Point’’ are. - further subjects of topical interest.! Overseas .news includes "Ideas for Brightening Male IfeMwfeV*” “The Prince of Wales in' Nairobi, ' Africa,” “Progress -in Australian-Ship-building,” " British Airwoman in the Public Bye,” “A New Submarine for tlie Chilean. Navy," and*“ The International Exhibition of Inventions.”. The centenary o£ George Augustus Sal a, “the prince of 1 specials,” is'celebrated by an illustrated half-page.

Mr J, R. Bartholomew, S.M.', presided at the City Police Court on Saturday morning. Robert John Graham-appeared on a charge of having failed to make provision for his illegitimate child. On the application of Senior Sergeant Quartermain the case'was remanded to Gisborne, the defendant to appear there on December 7. ' i ■ -

Mr Justice MacGregor has granted probate in:thc .estates of the following deceased persons:—Arma-BellaMTiemmii,of • Kakanui (Mr A. J. Grave); Lindley: William Murphy, latterly of jOamaru (Mr J. ;H. Main); . Thomas Fairley,- of . Oamaru (Mr J. H. Main); Victoria Kate Hopcroft, of Dunedin, (Mr W. R. Brugh), and Charles Victor Le Brun, of. St. Eilda (Mr j. B. Nichols). His Honor has also granted letters of administration in the estates of Euphemia Chisholm, of Dunedin (Mr E. J; Smith) and Peter Shannon, of Oamaru (Mr H. J. S. Grater). . The ’ Union Jack won 'by ■Dr - Palmer (of ‘Blenheim) im the ■ Southern ■ Gross Art Union will have a history attached to it (says our Christchurch correspondent). It will become - the property of The Limes, a private hospital in Christchurch, where - Dr Palmer was--a patient at the time that' the Southern ’Cross'flew the Tasman. Dr Partner, in purchasing the tickets, told Sister Peake (matron of the hospital) that If he won the flag it would become the property, of The Limes. The matron and staff are extremely' pleased- to know that such a valuable trophy is to, become their property.

It recently - came to the knowledge of the police (says our Auckland correspondent) that a Maori named Rangi Brown, a farmer, of Pakiri, on the coast in the Rodney district, was in possession of the blade of the propeller of an aeroplane which he found washed up on the beach some time’ ago. Thinking that the propeller blade might have belonged, to the ill-fated Ryan monoplane used by the late Captain Hood and Lieutenant Monorieff on their attempted flight across the Tasman, the police thoroughly investigated the find. However, it has how been proved beyond all doubt that the propeller blade belonged -to one of Messrs Walsh Bros,’ seaplanes, formerly used at the. New Zealand flying school at Kohimarama, Brown stated that he found the blade last December on the beach, and took it home, .thinking no/more about the matter.

■Recently .a! .‘'commerce” train was organised which took Auckland business men to the various parts of the district of which Auckland is the centre. It has been suggested (says the Dominion) that a similar train might be organised to cover the southern portion of the North Island, visiting the Taranaki, Mam Trunk, Hawke’s Bay, and the WairarapA districts. A joint committee .from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Wellington Manufacturers’ Association will shortly consider the proposal, and it is possible that a trip might ba arranged for next 'March, It is understood that a minimum of 60 passengers would be' required. The train would contain sleeping accommodation, shower baths, lounge, etc., and other comforts for the passengers;' telephone connections 'wculd be arranged at stops so that no participant in the tour need be out of communication with his headquarters. The cost per head for a tour running into mne days,'inclusive of four refreshments per day supplied upon the train, would he £ls, phis some small, expenditure for* side tr,ps costing up' to about £3. The proposal has been very favourably received by the council of the Wellington Chamber' of Commerce.

Although it is 71 years old, a penny dug up one day last week in Vulcan lane, Auckland, ■where the street is being widened, is almost as bright as the day it was minted (says the Auckland, Star), Its wonderfully well-preserved condition is accounted for by the fact that it wa* buried deep down in the clay. On one side is “M. Somerville, wholesale family grocer, City Mart, Auckand,” and on the other the rose, the shamrock, and the thistle surrounded, by "New Zealand 1857.” Mr Somerville was a very wellknown Aucklander, and for years he had a store ou the corner of Shortland and Queen street, which was known as “ Soriierville’s Corner.” Pennies such as this interesting reminder of Auckland were quite common 40 years or so ago. They were called " tokens,” and were accepted as readily as the pennies bearing the Queen’s head

"The spelling of pupils in cur schools is in a deplorable condition,” said the , senior inspector (Mr N. K. M'Kenzie) at a meeting of ; the, Taranaki Education. .Bpard -last -week. • ■" For some' reason or other, it- is very far\short of what it should be.” The inspector was speaking in regard to ah application froth the Teachers' Institute, for permission to conduct' a resurvey of the achievements of the pupils in Taranaki. Mr M'Kenzie said that, if this were carried out it would show ,where, the. fault was. It was decided to ask the Department to make a grant towards the. cost of resurvey. , The railway accident which occurred between the stations' of Warepa and Clinton on Thursday night proved to be the most serious -derailment that has occurred : on the Southland section of the line for more than a decade (says' the Southland Times'). The train was a mixed goods and passenger train .and at the.time it left Warepa had only four passengers on board. A, long line of trucks -came be-' tween the carriages and The engine, and therefore as the trucks at the back were ■ most seriously damaged, one .would have expected that the carriage would have been badly smashed. Such was not the case, however, and so .little did it affect the passengers (although the first bogey, of , their carriage was derailed) .that one young-woman, wheri spoken to on the subject directly .after the accident, regarded the matter as something of a joke. .'The only thing , that is clear as to . the, cause of the - accident is that brie pair of wheels of one- truck became derailed 30 yards at least before the general smash-up, as broken axle, boxes, axle, box stuffing, and marks .on the sleepers indicate. When the truck' definitely lost the track, the telescoping of the trucks‘took place, but What caused -it ,to leave the line has not yet been, ascertained. The accident -00-, curred shortly after 5 p.m.; and by 11.30 p.m. the work of.restoring order out of chaos was well in hand, two breakdown gangs ■ having been. despatched to the ■scene., .The .removal of the twisted rails i and the replacement of the derailed trucks as close to the linens was possible, without affecting a 'good clearance for passing trains- proceeded apace, and by 4.10 a.m., not 12. hours, after the derailment had occurred the line was clear again. The remaining -task is to remove the. damaged trucks to: Warepa, Where they will be repaired.

- ■ is drawn to the Otago Daily ■ v Times ;• and Witness. _Company’s altered telephone numbers in fte new issue of tHe telephone . directory. ; Commencing on Saturday next, and con-. . tinning, on each succeeding Saturday . until notice’, cheaj. excursion . tickets Will be'’ issued to Queenstown. - iTherii will not be a change of Government’at Williamsons, the jewellers, where, : you get expert service always.—Advt. v A good remedy for. Coughs, Colds, Bron- . chitis, etc., is a. household necessity at , ~tßis period pf r’the year. Be prepared. Get a bottle of,Pearson’s Gough.Balsam ta-day; ls-6d and 2s ’6d.—Pearson's Phar- ■ macy. Prince- Albert road, St. Kilda.— .'■ ■ The Field of Vision.—To enlarge the field of vision and: make sight easy and pleasant is the ah" and object: of W. V. Sturdier, Q.A.0.C., D. 3.0.1., optician. Octagon, Dunedin.—Advt. ■ • A. E. J. Blakeley and W. S. Bagley. dentists. Bank of ; Australasia, corner of Bond and .Rattray, streets (nest Telegraph Office) Telephone 12-359.—Advt. Engagement Rings,—Before , purchasing compare our .values;; targe ■election: just ..landed;’ superior, quality.— Peter Dick, the most reliable jewellers, watchmakers, and opticians, 490 Moray place, Dunedin.—Advt. ' • '